Last Perfection's sophomore outing, 2004's
Drawing Conclusions, marks them as yet another entry into the so-called "New Wave of American Heavy Metal" -- that sonic melding of melodic death metal and hardcore quite popular in the mid-'00s. But even though they like to be known on a hardcore-approved first-name basis, the band's music relies on very few metalcore tricks (rare guitar solos, for instance), choosing instead to emphasize their high-energy (and often high-speed) metallic staccato riffing throughout. To that end, standout tracks such as "Irony Is Not the Word," "Good Nights, Bad Mornings" and "Obtuse and Obscure" (featuring additional guitars from producer and
Converge man Kurt Ballou) display both a flair for Gothenburg-styled twin harmonies and a little overuse of stabbing guitar harmonics (both ideas they probably got from the scene's commercial leaders
Killswitch Engage). Also, the inclusion of three instrumental asides amongst a paltry nine songs makes for a somewhat "light" half-hour of music. But, having said that,
Last Perfection still possess more than enough songwriting personality to make the above tracks, as well as closing highlights "1128" (a total scorcher) and "What a Pity" work to their advantage. And by resisting the overuse of clean voices to counteract frontman James' favored combination of guttural bellows and agonized shrieks, they seem to be avoiding easy trends to follow their own hearts, no matter how many albums they do or don't sell. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia